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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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The Thing Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
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The Thing
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Reviews & Ratings for
The Thing More at IMDbPro »

Write review
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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Sci-Fi / Horror that hits all the right chords!

10/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
18 February 2006

At a remote Antarctic research station a twelve-man American research party encounter some crazy Norwegians chasing a dog near their campsite. After shooting one of their team members, the Norwegian is shot dead. Trying to discover what made them turn out like this they head to their station, but instead they find something of unknown origin slightly burned up outside in the snow. They bring it back to find out that it's some sort of alien form that's fused together human parts. After more research into it they find out it was buried in the ice for centuries and that it's an aggressive shape-shifter. Soon enough it starts imitating the inhabitants of the base. Causing strained tension and hostile confrontations as everyone starts to turn on each other.

Halloween might have been my first John Carpenter experience, but it was this one, which blew me away and got me really into the horror genre. "The Thing" used to always get played on late night TV and I never missed the opportunity to sit up and watch it. I always believed that it's the best time to watch this cult classic and on this occasion I did the same again, but I had to watch it on DVD this time around. Since this basically bombed at the box-office, because of the bad timing of its released. With it coming out straight after 'ET'. Pretty much it was suicide. But gradually over the years this has deservedly become a cult favourite through video amongst horror and Sci-Fi fans. The film still holds up remarkably well today and surely was unfairly dismissed when it came out. Also the poster artwork for the film is one of the best I've seen. Carpenter was on a great trot at the time and definitely was at his pinnacle, with such films like 'Escape from New York', 'The Fog', 'Halloween' and 'Assault on Precinct 13' coming before it.

'The Thing' is a experimental remake of Howard Hawk's 'The Thing from another World', but instead Carpenter was far more faithful to John W. Campbell's story "Who goes there", by getting the alien to conceal itself inside it's victim and never seeing the being in its natural form. Compared with the walking vegetable that had a striking resemblance to Frankenstein in Hawk's version. It's hard not to compare the two, with each one having a stronger point over the other, but for me I have to go with the '82' version. Anyhow, I just gotta say I love the burning imprint of the film's title in the opening. That scene alone sends chills down my spine and tells you what's to come.

The story is far from groundbreaking, but the same can't be said about Rob Bottin's daring make-up effects, which simply are astoundingly revolting. Even today they still hold a huge amount of impact in creating a horrific vibe. Really, these grotesque monster effects are incredibly menacing and freaky, but heck these creations are ugly. The gore is worked in rather nicely, with enough blood splatter involved. Like I said the story isn't something out of the ordinary, but the paranoia part of it is beautifully constructed. This is helped by a well diverse group of moody characters that start losing it slowly and Carpenter turns up the notch by seemingly tightening the confines, where the feel of isolation and tension is sustained to the very end. I thought the ambiguity of the conclusion was fitting enough to the overall context. Claustrophobic brilliance on Carpenter's part. Even the story can be class a metaphor about trust and how it's not so easy to come by now. Carpenter creates a very sombre and downbeat atmosphere that goes very well with the cold conditions of the setting. Underneath it all it has an apocalyptic awe about it, where it looks like there's nothing anybody can do about this concealed being. What complements the chilling feel of dread is Ennio Morricone's throbbing score that's simply sublime in awe. The score packs a real unsteadiness and showers the flick with such vigorousness. Pretty much it does alienate you to what's happening on screen.

The performances are reasonably solid, though nothing really to write home about. Kurt Russell is perfect as the lead figure and his charismatic presence proves it. The rest are nothing more than pawns in this game of control. They do seem a little bit more one-dimensional, but still they give such raw performances that add more to the realism factor. Also the chemistry between the men is quite believable. Although, one thing that kept on bugging me, was why they would go off alone when that creature is on the loose. Although that helped on the red herrings and crackling suspense. Where the film stumbles a bit, can be found on the script. The characters were more full and dialogue less stilted, in Howard's film. That's were I thought "The Thing from another World" really had the wood over "The Thing". It built more on the characters. But saying that there was enough suspense built up and sardonic wit in the dialog here. The heated dialog did really warmed up proceedings. The production design is perfect in every inch. From the assured cinematography with many neat angle shots to the creepy, but authentic looking station and its dark and freezing corridors. Another thing to touch a nerve were the echoing sound effects, with the gusty wind making a big impression and the eerie howling from the thing just makes your hairs stand up. Carpenter's ace direction manages to mix gruesome images with psychological elements to achieve an sensational viewing that makes you grab hold of anyone/anything tightly and leaves you with some memorable sequences fresh in mind.

A definite Horror / Sci-Fi milestone. Sure it isn't flawless, but it's crafted with a passion to shock, but also compel. Although it's the innovative effects, which will make sure that it's remembered for many years to come.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:

A masterpiece of sci-fi/horror!

10/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
10 December 2002

"The Thing" has to be one of my favourite movies of John Carpenter.It's filled with great acting,moody lighting and jaw-droppingly excellent special effects.Carpenter's direction is great and the tension builds well.There is also plenty of stomach-churning gore to satisfy fans of splatter cinema.Finally there is no love story here(no female characters),no silly humour-just good clean horror!So if you haven't checked this one yet go and see it now!A must-see!

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13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

Good action, but no emotion or character development.

4/10
Author: morphricky
1 July 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's start with the good: The special effects are fantastic, the actors are good (despite what they have to work with) and the over all setting is good.

So why do I dislike it so much? First of all, the characters have very little personality. Besides their work and their mood, there isn't much to define them by. Bennings and Garry are supposed to have been friends for ten years, but you wouldn't ever have guessed so since you never hear about them actually having known each other that long until Garry says so. When somebody dies, nobody seems bothered. Garry is the only one making a halfhearted attempt to not make Macready burn Bennings body... only to join in and watch Bennings burn. When I first saw the movie, I was confused as to why nobody suspected Garry be a monster... who would be so casual about their best friend for ten years dying? After Bennings is burned, Garry never mentions him again as if they never met. It's also kinda ironic that Macready is the one calling Bennings "George", but Garry never does.

And the characters are so unbelievably stupid. Of course there is always somebody ending up alone or walking off alone, making them at risk to be contaminated. And in the end, they have figured out the only one who could possibly be contaminated is Blair. They have figured out flamethrowers will kill the monsters in just a few second. They have figured out that staying together is the best option. So what do they do? They split up to look for Blair and they blow up the whole base with dynamite! So of course someone dies because they walked alone, but then they realize they will freeze to death because they blew up the whole base. Which they didn't need to since Blair was underground! Who thought that was a good idea? Of course they never actually show a scene where they agree it is a good idea..

Overall, if you can look past the glaringly obvious stupidity of the movie (everybody keeps walking off alone all the time despite knowing they can get contaminated), the lack of character development (if any), then you got an action-packed movie with an eerie setting and some of the best special effects of its time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Masterful horror

Author: Anssi Vartiainen from Helsinki
29 December 2013

The movie opens to a frozen wasteland of Antarctica, as we spot the lonely figure of a dog fleeing from its pursuers. It's a bleak, unforgiving setting and a perfect opener to this movie. The Thing, based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There? is one of the finest horror movies ever made. In a way it reminds me a lot of Alien, another masterpiece of horror. They both have an isolated setting where no help will be forthcoming, they both feature an attack by an unknown alien entity and they both have unbelievably good special effects, the sheer brutality, goriness and impossibility of which are the stuff of nightmares.

The Thing adds the fact that its alien is capable of assuming other shapes, and the movie evolves to a tense hide and seek game and as the pressure rises, the group of scientists and researchers starts to crack. It's an intense experience with long scenes of unbearable atmosphere followed by short bursts of soul-chilling terror facilitated by the special effects of one Rob Bottin, a master of his craft.

It's a well-told story, ending on a perfect note that isn't too uplifting, but neither is it a complete downer. Easily one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen and the rest of the story is told equally as well. Perhaps my only nitpick is that some of the characters and their actors aren't as strong as, say, in the Alien. There's perhaps one or two too many for all of them to get enough screen time to really shine. On the other hand, some are really good, like Kurt Russell's MacReady or Wilford Brimley's Dr. Blair.

This is a movie that every fan of horror owes to himself or herself to see at least once. Its special effects are so scary that I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's prone to nightmares. They're not nice to look at, they're not pleasant and under no circumstances should any child ever see this film. It's that frightening, that good at what it does.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A cult favourite that has become a classic

8/10
Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
29 December 2012

A dog is chased through the wide open snowy expanse of the Antarctic by men in a helicopter who attempt to kill it with a rifle. They fail and die, and the dog enters an American compound unharmed. The men of this outpost now try to discover what events led to this bizarre scene…

John Carpenter's remake of the 1950 Howard Hawks original The Thing From Another World is a definite example of a remake that exceeds the original. With this film Carpenter upgraded the original with excellent use of very impressive practical special effects. These effects still look extremely good today thirty years on. But it's not just this that has been improved; the characters and dialogue are better, while the sense of paranoid mystery is an entirely new addition to the story. Despite all these aspects, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that The Thing was a box office failure upon release in 1982. Even the fools at the Razzies jumped on the bandwagon and nominated Ennio Morricone's Carpenteresque soundtrack for 'worst musical score' – a frankly ludicrous decision. Anyway, it was only in the years that followed that The Thing built up a reputation as a cult favourite, to the point that it is now considered something of a classic. Which is the way it should be considering that this is a highly effective and claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Really good remake

7/10
Author: Tyler Balazs from United Kingdom
6 August 2010

Well this movie was very good for a remake usually remakes are way to different from the original and they make it more violent well this movie did do that but it follows the novel more the violence in this movie is very graphic and quite sickening but its a effective movie its john carpenter was a big fan of the movie because he used clips of it in one of his halloween movies. This movie did follow the original but it followed the novel much more because now the monster takes on the body of others whereas in the original it looked slightly like the frankenstein monster all in all this movie was really well done and a worthy remake but i have heard that their going to remake it again and i hope they don't do that because too many movies are being remade lets leave these to movies the way they are and don't remake then again.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Proof that once upon a time John Carpenter was a fine filmmaker (spoilers)

Author: Ricky Roma (thepestilence001@yahoo.co.uk) from http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/
27 February 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I first watched it, I wasn't terribly impressed by The Thing. I can't recall precisely what I didn't like about it, that first viewing being maybe a decade or so ago, but I seem to remember finding it a little confusing and I can remember not being a fan of the special effects (some would consider that last statement heresy). But watching it a second time, I enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't place it at the top of the genre like some people would, but it wouldn't be far off.

First things first, I appreciated the special effects a lot more this time round. I think the problem when I first watched it was just how bizarre it all was. Tentacles? Bloody flower guts? Giant snapping mouths? Maybe I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, or perhaps I found it repulsive – I don't mind gore in horror films, but I'm not a fan of what I'd call 'gloop' (for some reason I can happily watch limbs get blown and sawn off, or see people get shot, stabbed and eaten, but my sick trigger is sensitive to 'gloopy' film monsters – I love David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, even though it does make my stomach turn in a couple of places, but I do actually come close to gagging watching The Fly II, and not just because it's cinematic manure). So perhaps I didn't appreciate the special effects for those reasons. But they're actually pretty great. One of the best bits has to be when an imitation human head sprouts a tentacle from its mouth and pulls itself along – and earlier on when the head begins to detach itself from its body. It's nasty and unpleasant and great to watch. And then there's the bit when Palmer's face rips apart and a giant alien mouth sprouts and bites a guy in the head. Neat. (And to make it even better, the man who's getting bitten is shaken from side to side, and in a couple of shots it's obviously a dummy…which is amusing.)

But not all the special effects work is great. Although I love the head being ripped off and I love it when it shoots a tentacle from its mouth, it does look silly rather than disturbing when it sprouts antennae and spidery legs. There's a fine line between great and crap. And the bit at the end isn't particularly impressive either – the bit where we see huge tentacles and a massive monster. It's overkill and the effects don't match what has come before.

Much better than all the big stuff are the little bits. Right at the end, right before the silly tentacle business and the unconvincing alien dog, is a bit where Garry encounters an assimilated Blair and Blair sticks his hand in his head. It's brilliantly done. And then after that you see Blair dragging Garry along by his face. Again it's sick and nasty, but in a much more believable way.

However, it's not the monster that makes The Thing such an enjoyable film, it's the confusion and the paranoia that its presence generates in the humans (I guess when I first watched it as a kid I didn't realise that confusion was the point). After all, seeing as The Thing is a shape-shifter, and it can take on any form, everyone's a suspect.

This climate of paranoia and suspicion is best illustrated in the scene where MacReady (Kurt Russell) ties the surviving scientists and workers to chairs so that he can check their blood to see who's human and who's not. The scene really is tense, as you haven't got a clue who's been assimilated and who hasn't. You're not even sure if MacReady is who he says he is, as even he's been built up as a suspect. But it literally could be anybody and the scene's a powder keg.

Another great scene is when MacReady declares that he knows for certain he's human and the camera slowly pans across the rest of the group. Do we believe him, and who among the group isn't what he says he is?

As well as the scenes of tension, I love the creepy moments too (they're often a lot better than the 'scary' bits). My favourite is when a half assimilated Bennings is caught trying to escape the camp (he's almost a perfect copy but his hands are deformed) and he lets off an eerie howl before he's burnt to a crisp (there's a lot of torching in the film…which I love!). And there's also the bit where MacReady visits Blair, who's been locked in the tool shed. MacReady opens a slit and Blair's sitting there by a noose while eating cans of food. He then begs to be let out. He insists that he's much better. It's a superb scene. And as simple as they are, I love all the lingering shots of the dog. It's a creepy mutt, I tell you. It's got a thousand yard stare.

Also rather creepy is the ending. After all the pyrotechnics, MacReady thinks he's the sole survivor, only Childs shows up. His explanation is that he got lost in the snow. There's a bit of an awkward conversation, and even though Mac kind of knows that it isn't the real Childs, he's become tired and resigned to his fate and shares a smoke. It's an ending that, in the best way, keeps you wondering.

And on a final note, I must say how much I enjoy Mac's snow-sombrero and his bad geography. "Hey Sweden!" he shouts when he visits a Norwegian camp. The film's funny, too, and intentionally so.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing is a Masterpiece (full stop)

10/10
Author: heinigrunbaum-786-20424 (heinigrunbaum@yahoo.dk) from Denmark
20 August 2016

So initially I wrote this (kind of) short review:

Though I love E.T. (also at the time) The Thing was the thing for me, absolutely 100%

Where E.T. today feels more like a Muppet Show (the plastic like E.T. is no longer as believable has he was in the 80s) The Thing still holds up against time in a rare and wonderful all men cast and a Kurt Russell playing chess with a computer, having a long strong drink when needed.

This is a man's and a big boy's movie. And for this reason alone no man should ever miss out on this film.

Maybe John Carpenter felt under pressure and had a hard time making it (so I read somewhere). But looking back there is no doubt in my mind, now as then, that The Thing is a wonderful Masterpiece (big thumbs up from me).

And that was the review…

But IMDb need more words to accept a review, so therefore I will continue:

When The Thing first came out I was already the biggest John Carpenter fan ever on planet Earth. So no wonder that I went for the first screening a Friday at 12:00 noon at the (at that time) second biggest screen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Palads cinema screening room 1).

Dolby Stereo was still a new thing back then and when the film faded up in a hand held panoramic wide shot of the cold ice at the South Pole together with the heartbeat drum of Ennio Morricone the tense atmosphere was set and ready. I knew from the first twenty seconds of the film that I was about to watch a Masterpiece and I also knew that I wasn't going to be disappointed…

If you have never watch The Thing and there is a given chance (somehow) that you in the near future of your short life will have the chance to watch this Masterpiece on a big screen in a cinema, you should wait for this option rather than watching it on DVD or whatever digital media you can find. That is if you want to experience the initially Oomph that this film's first scene brings to its audience…

In any regards all big boys and men should see this MAN FILM !!!

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Who can you trust?

9/10
Author: Terence Brennen from United States
21 June 2016

What fuels "The Thing" is a feeling more than an idea. After establishing the characters and the premise that any one of their colleagues could be an alien impersonator, the plot takes a predictable line, as character after character's humanity is tested. But what kept me engaged was feeling the need for a community. Kurt Russell's MacReady maps out the lay of the land for us, but then needs to determine who he can trust. Poor judgment here could be fatal. His methodology to determine who is human and who is not is simple, but we soon learn that the answer always changing. An ally now may try to kill you an hour later. A great theme given today's political struggle to accept refugees while faced with an attitude of xenophobia. Considering the "aliens-as-us" premise, Carpenter sketches out the characters well, and they are convincing, given the extreme circumstances of the story. Although the pre-CGI special effects may seem dated now, they are still effective and make your skin crawl. I recommend this to a new generation of moviegoers.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

More of a gross out film than a well-crafted horror.

6/10
Author: bscrivener-50810 from United Kingdom
17 January 2016

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as Mack MacReady, a researcher based in Antarctica and our protagonist in the film. Upon its release, The Thing was met with a lot of mixed reviews and overall a negative reception, however over the years has gone on to gain a cult following and a legendary status in the history of sci-fi, horror and cinema as a whole. While The Thing does have its moments, as in the grand special effects of the horrific, repulsive monster itself which still don't look particularly dated by todays standards and the great sense of vulnerability in our characters. It is in these characters that lies the problem. Not one of them is particularly likable or relatable, even Kurt Russell himself. You never get a great sense of caring or hoping for a certain character to make it out alive, rooting for a character just doesn't happen in The Thing. We are also left hanging in the balance by the end of the film with no real climactic epic fight or showdown. The Thing can be tense and generally scary at times, but in reality is a pure gross-out film rather than a well crafted horror. The music however is another strong point which does add to the suspense and the very clever idea of blood samples in the latter part of the film really has us guessing and wondering who is human and who is the monster. While I don't agree the statement that The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, it does have its tense, pseudo horror moments and shrieking horror soundtrack to build on this. Overall it does feel more of a gross-out, gore-fest with unfortunately unlikeable characters, some rushed scenes and disappointing third act which leaves it feeling incomplete, but with brilliant special effects. 6/10

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361 out of 406 people found the following review useful:

Good things come to those who wait

Author: Lars Christensen (c@cool.dk) from Copenhagen, Denmark
27 May 2000

* * * * ½ (4½ out of 5)

The Thing

Directed by: John Carpenter, 1982

Looking back on John Carpenter's The Thing – today a highly treasured cult favourite – one has to wonder why it was dismissed by both the audience and critics when it first came out in 1982.

Steven Spielberg's extra terrestrial adventure about a sweet alien that phoned home (that stole the hearts of both children and adults world wide) had opened just two weeks before and was on its historic box office rampage. Bad scheduling may have had a greater impact than anything else on the fate of Carpenter's first big studio effort for Universal Pictures. Nobody was prepared – moreover wanted anything so dark, gory and scary as this genuine remake of the famous 1951 original. This was the time of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

It then makes for great movie history trivia, that The Thing has gained such a remarkable afterlife on video, DVD and television. Both financially and critically. Carpenter's version is less a remake of the Howard Hawks' version than a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?' (on which both were based), and critics today point out how well Carpenter plays his characters against each other. Kurt Russell will never top this one, and he gets a brilliant sparring from the entire cast.

It opens in Antarctica with a sled husky running from a pair of crazed and armed Norwegian men in a helicopter. The scene is long, slow and uneasy. It feels like the Apocalypse. It oozes doomsday.

This scene comprises one of the greatest opening sequences in film history.

Ennio Morricone's moody synth score (heavy on naked thumping bass lines in classic Carpenter style), the windswept massive white of the desolate polar ice and the majestic husky running across the tundra chased by the chopper, compromises a completely mesmerizing piece of scenery.

A satisfying example of a movie that today – 18 years after – looks downright muscular in its simplicity.

The budget was big ($14 mill), yet it allowed Carpenter to visualize his ideas better than ever before. There's a brooding darkness to this film, making the whites and blues of the icy Antarctic claustrophobia seem poetic and almost angelic. Dean Cundey's extraordinary photography created a palpable chill to every shot. The careful preparation (the crew went into a record 11-month pre-production) paid off immensely.

Horror specialist Rob Bottin was handpicked for the many gory and grotesque special effects. Be warned – there's a lot of splatter and gore here. The Thing is actually notorious for its creature morphing scenes. Some find them disgusting, some mere cult.

An argument could be made against The Thing being an Alien rip-off; it has its origins in an old sci-fi story and it creates tension by popping a crowd of people (note: all-male) on an isolated outpost (an Antarctic research facility) terrorized by an alien life form.

Where Carpenter was clearly inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, his own alien movie is original and intriguing in its own right. There's a rhythm and an environment that equals Scott's in every way.

The husky was in fact half-wolf and half-dog, and it was noted that it never barked or growled on or off the set (Horror Takes Shape, the making of - DVD version).

Watch in awe at the scene where it walks through the hallway and stares at a human shadow, slightly tilting its head forward in stalking position like a wild wolf. This is a fine piece of animal training, sure, but that's not the point. This is as spooky as anything ever made in a horror movie.

Carpenter had all the right tools here, and he utilized them to perfection, making The Thing his best movie alongside Halloween.

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344 out of 388 people found the following review useful:

A classic that still holds up to this very day

10/10
Author: MovieAddict2016 from UK
26 July 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won."

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one. However, "The Thing" – for all practical purposes – came first.

Based on the famous short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (writing under pseudonym as Don A. Stuart), the film was originally adapted as a feature production in 1951 by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby. The result was "The Thing From Another World," an unarguable classic. But to be fair, it bore little resemblance to the short story, and Carpenter's remake does it more justice.

The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie so great, and is the most vital link to the short story. In 1951 the special effects were simply too poor to reasonably portray the shape-shifting organism, but thirty-one years brought many advances in SFX.

Creature effects artist Rob Bottin does an excellent job of turning what could have easily become a cheesy gore-fest into a startlingly frightening (and realistic) mess of blood and fear. The Thing, although never actually taking one specific form, is constantly seen in a morphing stage, and the effects are simply superb. They still pack a punch twenty-two years later.

Ennio Morricone's score (nominated for a Razzie Award at the time) is a bit too electronic and tinny, but nevertheless haunting when used correctly.

From the fact that its cast consists entirely of males, to the fact that its ending is one of the most thought-provoking and untypical conclusions of all time, "The Thing" – by any standards – is unconventional Hollywood at its best. It comes as no surprise that, at the time of its release, "The Thing" performed poorly in theaters, and "E.T." – released the same year and featuring a much kinder alien – became the higher-grossing picture of the two (by far).

In the long run, however, "The Thing" is superior in almost every conceivable way. Spielberg's tale is outdated and flopped during its 20th Anniversary Re-Release. "The Thing," on the other hand, has gradually climbed a ladder of cult classics – it is one of the most famous non-famous movies ever made.

Carpenter is notorious for having a very uneven career – from his amazing "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) to the magnificent "Halloween" (1978) to the disappointing and silly "Escape from L.A." (1996), "The Thing" remains his very best motion picture. Although its reputation over the years has never been honorary enough to land it a spot on most "great movies" lists, "The Thing" is still one of my favorite horror films, and – upon close inspection – masterfully crafted. It is a daring and ingenious thrill-ride that is simultaneously unique and chilling – a genuine relief for film buffs who are tired of the same old horror knock-offs. This one, at the very least, is genuinely unpredictable.

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340 out of 395 people found the following review useful:

A Timeless Look in Paranoia, a Horror Classic

Author: ChadKuhns from United States
5 August 2002

Just to put things in perspective for you before I get into my thoughts on this film, I am only 20 years old and have grown up in the era of CGI, blue screen effects...and this movie was made around the same time i was born.

With that said, WOW, I only recently saw John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing', and what a masterpiece it truly is. I have long since been a fan of John Carpenter, in particular his works from the late 70's and 80's. In 'The Thing' John Carpenter has truly crafted a paranoia inducing, perhaps gut wrenching classic.

The movie is an update of the classic 'The Thing From Outer Space', but only like it's predecessor, this film is in full color, and the characters of this film have much more to worry about than an alien veggie

The film centers around a group of Arctic Researchers you encounter an alien lifeform capable of taking the form of anything it comes into contact with, and out of for that matter. Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady, an alcoholic Vietnam Vet, thrust into the role of leader of a group of relatively cold and callous men all of whom are readily plunging into manic paranoia and somewhat madness once they realize that they are up against a creature that can take any form, be any one of them.

John Carpenter, more than in any other of his films, manages to create a truly believable and incredible atmosphere. When watching this film you truly get the sense of the dark,sinister, desolate surroundings, you feel and realize that these characters have no where to go...never for one second do you not believe they are stuck on a polar ice cap. Also, this film has perhaps one of the greatest endings to any film of it's genre, or any genre for that matter. I'm not going to give it away here, but to say that it will leave you wondering would be an understatement.

Kurt Russell is superb as MacReady....truly conveying the emotions of a man thrust into a situation of unimaginable horror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the man next to them is not the creature that has driven them to the brink of paranoia and emotional meltdown.

I don't care if this movie is 20 years old by now, the special effects in this movie are gut wrenching, mind blowing, and absolutely awesome. They blow away any CGI pixel based crap out there today. The 'Thing' itself is a truly horrifying and disturbing creation...unlike any alien you have ever seen in a movie before. Those who have a low tolerance for gore and blood had best prepare themselves for watching this movie.

This movie does what any good horror/sci fi movie should do, it really thrusts you into it's character's world. It leaves you wondering, what would you do, who could you trust if anyone you knew could be the creature waiting to feed on you, and take you over as well. The images, and ideals of this movie stayed with me long after i first saw it, and today as i write this review send a chill up my spine.

It is a true shame this movie is only now getting the proper recognition it deserves. A box office flop when released, now more then ever when movies are paper thin with plot, and one dimensional in effects, this film can be appreciated as a true masterpiece of sci/fi and horror.

If possible, get the Collector's Edition DVD, and enjoy it in anamorphic widescreen..the way it is truly meant to be seen. Marvel at the incredible scenery, the taught direction, the excellent atmosphere, the sweat inducing, gag reflex activating, and everything else that makes this movie great.

Watch it with the lights out, with a group of close friends...maybe even with a dog around...if you don't what i'm talking about...you will afterwards.

Don't let a classic pass you bye

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315 out of 367 people found the following review useful:

Finally getting recognition.

10/10
Author: Gordon McSephney (mcseph@eisa.net.au) from Melbourne, Australia
29 September 2001

I am ashamed to say it, but I have to admit, the first time I saw this film was only about a year ago. After seeing it, I immediately rushed out and bought the DVD collectors' edition and have watched it many times since.

The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter's direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general. Kurt Russell (obviously) is spectacularly understated in the lead role of MacReady, and, as a direct result he "feels" like a real person, rather than a hollywood "all american hero". The other cast members all carry off their roles with style, and the net result is an intensely believable atmosphere, and a truly fantastic film.

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296 out of 354 people found the following review useful:

Intelligent Splatter

10/10
Author: Gafke from United States
28 December 2003

This is another one of those films that I remember staying up late to watch on TV, scaring the crap out of myself at the impressionable age of 12 or so and dooming myself thereafter to a life of horror movie obsession. This is a GREAT movie, and stands as living proof that there were indeed realistic effects before CGI.

Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

The gore effects here are absolutely amazing and messily realistic. I could have done without the dogs head splitting open like a banana peel, but that's just the animal lover in me being picky: kill all the humans you want, but leave the kitties and puppies alone. Sanity and reason disintegrate rapidly as, one by one, the humans are taken over by the shapeshifting alien. The power of this film lies in its paranoia, and although I liked the original version, I prefer this one; the real threat lies within, and is scarier for the fact that it cannot be seen or easily detected. When it is forced out of hiding, it's wrath is huge and the results are horrific.

This is one of Carpenters best films, right up there with The Fog and Halloween. All of the actors give strong, realistic performances and the special effects are so powerful that they stand as their own main character. This film has something for any lover of the horror genre. Don't miss it.

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274 out of 350 people found the following review useful:

I worship this film. 10/10

10/10
Author: The_Wood from United States
20 April 2002

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

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187 out of 208 people found the following review useful:

Today it's still one of the best horror films

9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway
11 July 2005

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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245 out of 334 people found the following review useful:

Why The Thing?

10/10
Author: Allan Stroem from BODOE, NORWAY
27 September 2003

Many people has got a film they think of as their favourite movie. My movie will always be John Carpenter's The Thing! The main reason why this movie is a cult-film is perhaps the splatter-effects created mainly by genius Rob Bottin and that this is the movie that made Kurt Russell what he is today (along with Escape from N.Y.) In my opinion, this is not a great film because of the effects, it has to do with the story, the atmosphere, and of course, the acting. I have watched thousands and thousands of movies (3-6 every day the last 10 years), but none has had the impact on me as this one, not even the great "Das Boot".

Here's my suggestion to you who likes sci-fi and horror movies: Place yourself in the good chair of your home. Be sure you're not interupted by anyone. If you aint got a projector, sit close to your TV and watch this miracle of a film. Let it absorbe you, and you'll see it my way!

Best View Time: Late February between 5 and 9 in the evening.

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150 out of 188 people found the following review useful:

Right up there with "Halloween"--one of Carpenter's best!

10/10
Author: preppy-3 from United States
6 December 2003

Remake of the classic 1951 "The Thing From Another World". 12 men are in a completely isolated station in Antartica. They are invaded by a thing from outer space--it devours and completely duplicates anything it chooses to. It starts off as a dog but gets loose--and has a chance to duplicate any of the men. Soon, nobody trusts anyone else--they're isolated--the radio is destroyed--their helicopter likewise. What are they going to do?

The 1951 film had the thing just be a big, super human monster. That movie was scary. This one is too--but the story is different (and based more closely on the source material--the novelette "Who Goes There?") and it's scary in a different way. The movie starts right off with Ennio Morricone's extremely eerie score setting just the right tone and--when the Thing gets attacked--the amount of gore is astounding. There's blood and body parts flying all over--arms are bitten off, heads detach and--in the strongest one--one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The gore effects are STRONG and real nightmare material. I don't scare easy but I had to sleep with the lights on when I saw this originally back in 1982. Rob Bottin's effects are just incredible--how this picture got by with an R rating is beyond me!

It also has a very creepy feel--gore aside, it is very suspenseful. You're not sure who is what and Carpenter's direction and the score really build up the tension. One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying...but the movie still works.

This was a critical and commercial disaster in 1982--it competed with "E.T." and MANY critics complained about the amount of gore and there being no female characters in the movie. It's now considered one of John Carpenter's best. A must-see...for strong stomaches. NOT a date film!

An amusing note: When this was released Universal sent a note along with all prints of the film. They suggested to theatre owners that they play the film in an auditorium near the rest rooms. They were afraid that people would be so sickened by the violence that they'd have to be close to a facility to throw up!

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121 out of 141 people found the following review useful:

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

10/10
Author: Spikeopath from United Kingdom
4 March 2008

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The ultimate in alien terror.

Author: desotowright from United States
3 May 2008

A group of explorers in the arctic region have encountered a vicious alien organism that can consume a person and make itself a perfect copy. This is a classic horror film that is loaded with brilliant special effects and graphic violence that is a perfect way to spend a cold evening. Kurt Russel stars as a troubled alcoholic who takes charge and tries to find which person is really the alien creature. One of the most brilliant things about the movie is that it plays with the idea of not knowing who you can trust. I found it interesting that it had an all male cast, something uncommon for many movies. The acting is very natural and very realistic. This movie was surprisingly scary and the graphic scenes were surprisingly horrific. It's a dark, brutal, and claustrophobic sci-fi horror film that has stood the test of time from the genius of John Carpenter.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

One of the best horror movies ever, finally getting recognition.

Author: gheremond
3 February 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If you 're not reading this comment just to feel assured that there are other people in this world who share your good taste in films, do yourself a favor and watch this movie immediately. This would have probably been the best horror movie ever, if it wasn't for Ridley Scott's masterpiece (Alien). But I would say, "The Thing" really gives "Alien" a run for its money, we are talking about the cream of the crop of the horror/sci-fi category. It also easily qualifies as one of the best movies ever, regardless of genre. John Carpenter is a master of horror movie-making and here we find him at the pinnacle of his creative powers (although I consider "Starman" to be even better, but this isn't a horror film and it's another story). Top-notch performances from the all-male cast across the board, a-grade screen writing, stunning visuals and cinematography, and of course Carpenter's impeccable direction combine into a spellbinding, nightmarish tale of a would-be apocalypse unlike any"thing" you have seen before.

When I first checked to see how "The Thing" was doing on the IMDb scoreboard, back in 2001, I was disappointed to see it was hovering somewhere about 5.9 - 6.0. Most of the comments where not very good either, with a few exceptions. I was more than pleased to see this movie gaining more and more appreciation over the years. As I see now, it is among the top 250, with a score above 8.0 and with a good reason: It is certainly one of the greatest horror movies in history, which went under the radar for many years, until it finally achieved the cult status it deserved in the first place.

I was about 9 year old when I first watched this movie, late at night on TV - perfect conditions and age group to watch a film like that. Needless to say, I was scared to death! It took a long time until I watched it again, but the way I could remember all key scenes was a sign of the profound impact it had on me as a kid. Right from the haunting title sequence (which I think was later also copied in "Predator") to the spectacular gore scenes, to the chilling sense of isolation and impending doom created by the gloomy score.

Since then I have re-watched it many many times and I have to admit, it is perfect material for repeated viewing. More than a quarter of a century after its first (failed) release, witnessing the quality of what was supposed to be a b-movie of the 80's really puts most films shot today to shame. The detail and attention that went into the production design is truly amazing. The whole antarctic environment is replicated with tremendous accuracy. You can feel the cold and isolation of this barren white wasteland where the story is taking place and this is pivotal in creating the menacing, paranoia-inducing, claustrophobic atmosphere that permeates the film from start to finish.

The story itself is quite unconventional, based on an acclaimed novella from 1938. A team of scientists stationed in Antarctica face an alien life form, found buried in the ice, which upon thawed has the ability to consume other living organisms (including people) and imitate them perfectly. The film concentrates around the fear, mistrust and communication breakdown that ensues between the members of the team, once they realize they are isolated from the outside world, unable to get help and with one or more of them possibly not being human. The way the dynamics of the team is presented and the realistic depiction of their reactions makes the movie transcend its original premise as just a horror/sci-fi film and become something much deeper and profound. I am always amazed by the realistic behavior of each member, despite the unrealistic setup. You see people be afraid and some even break down, but you don't get you regular unstable guy who freaks out and tries to kill everybody. Kurt Russel gives a career-making performance, while the rest of the cast also does an excellent job. All around, a terrific ensemble piece.

There is also a large amount of carefully timed quality gore, that is utterly mind-blowing. Rob Bottin, the man mainly responsible for the animatronic (although also Stan Winston was also involved in the animatronic work) and make-up redefined the state of the art of what was possible, producing some of the best gore sequences ever that remain unmatched even today. What's more, these effects are really terrifying because they look and feel real and life-like. CGI is nemesis for a horror movie and "The Thing" is living proof that if you plan to shoot even a remotely scary scene, make sure you stick to good old latex and makeup.

Special mention should also go to Ennio Moriccone's haunting score. I can't believe it was actually nominated for a Razzie! Morricone produced some extremely effective underscore for the suspense-building scenes of the film, communicating all the paranoia of the isolated team and the otherworldly, alien presence that lurks in dark places, waiting to take hold.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie more strongly. It is a rare combination of unparalleled atmosphere, unconventional story and inspired visuals which has stood the test of time admirably.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

This is how a movie is made

10/10
Author: trnjamesbond (trnjamesbond@aol.com) from Canada
18 February 2010

I vote this movie ten out of ten because of the great cast and also the great suspenseful creepy feel of the film the whole deep undertones of the score of the movie keeps you very interested in whats going to happen next every time I watch it. You can tell that Mr. Carpenter had his heart and soul imposed in this tale of great suspense and horror. He was a genius when it came to that. Really wish movies were made like this today instead of props they use CGI which is hollow and see through, especially in lighted scenes CGI looks totally fake but in this film the special effects were so real looking that it still amazes me today. Kurt Russel is so spectacular in this movie I just want to keep watching.

You could really tell that there was chemistry on the set between the actors in this film. A perfect combination of great talent great directing and great film work. I always love revisiting this horror classic remake of the original black and white film. Has so much more power than the original because back then Hollywood was so afraid of the world and as I watch old films that are in black and white it's almost as though they dumb down the audiences even though they were much smarter than they thought. Hollywood was different back then they couldn't do anything remotely bold on screen back then because of being afraid it would get banned. Well in this version Hollywood has evolved thanks to movies like the Exorcist,Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien. They have become much more liberal.

That's the reason why this film works so well, it's because Mr. Carpenter took a movie and did the things that the original directors couldn't do like add gore and more abstract ideas because back then they couldn't. Another reason why it works is because it's a great story to tell, just ask the question what would you do in this situation stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by an organism that adapts to everything it touches. That's what makes this classic retelling so good it's just a movie that has a simple idea and let's the paranoia grow in your mind. Knowing that if the thing touches you your life is going to be mimicked into something that you do not know. I will always love this version don't care about future remakes won't watch it because they will just fill it with CGI and actors from popular teen dramas that's all Hollywood cares about now is how popular the actors are.

They don't care about real story telling anymore all they care about is money and popularity. Screw that I'll stick with the classics until they realize what people like and crave so screw Hollywood they don't know how to make pictures anymore it's not about the art it's about cheap thrown together remakes and what makes a quick buck screw'em I'll just keep watching these great masterpieces when they still loved to make a great movie and put their heart and soul into it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

There's no other movie like this one

10/10
Author: (Pulpthatsfiction) from Minnesota
7 August 2008

John Carpenter's The Thing Is a great classic that not that many people have seen today and for those how have seen this you know what I mean. What makes this film so great is that its so different from any movie I have ever seen. For the most part horror films have bad story telling, bad acting and is usually just bad. Thats not The Thing, The Thing is really a true masterpiece. Everything about it is just perfect, the acting, the directing, the writing just everything about this movie is perfect. The best thing about this movie would have to be the atmosphere in this movie. It feels like your in the middle of nowhere and this thing is around imitating things. I mean it could be anyone it could be you and you wont even Know that its you infected. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is spectacular and one of the best ever. The main part of the score is just to very low bass notes that just puts you in the awkward feeling that you know something bad is going to happen. The acting by everyone is very well done and is believable by everyone. The directing by John Carpenter is pitch perfect, I had never really like John Carpenter directing in any of his movies Until I saw this.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

An equal to Alien

10/10
Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN
9 March 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This stands next to Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78 as one of the great horror/sci-fi hybrids of the era. The film takes place in an American research base in Antarctica. A Norwegian helicopter chases an escaped sled dog into camp, shooting at it with a rifle. When the shooter wounds one of the Americans, they kill him in self-defense. It's probably not the smartest move, seeing as how insanely the Norwegians were trying to kill it, but the Americans take the dog in. Little do they know it's not a dog at all, but an alien life form mimicking a dog. Soon it reveals its true form – kind of – and is burned to death. Unfortunately, it's a crafty organism and has likely infected one or more of the men. But how could you know? It's a perfect mimic, pretty much undetectable until it's too late. The film features some of the best special effects of its time – they have not dated a bit, and are every bit as creepy and nasty as they were in 1982. The monster, when it reveals itself, is a true Lovecraftian thing that takes on all kinds of forms, probably an amalgam of the different organisms it has mimicked over its lifetime. Put the monster aside, though, and there's this great, intense study of paranoia. "Nobody trusts anybody" as star Kurt Russell puts it. Reminiscent of perhaps The Big Sleep, if you closely scrutinize the series of events, the plot makes no sense. There's no conceivable way the persons who eventually end up as the thing could have become it. But this lack of logic itself is part of why the movie is so horrifying. You never can tell who is or who is not an alien. Carpenter wisely never lets the audience see anything. Kudos to him for that. And also kudos to him for including two black characters who don't die in the first ten minutes of the movie, an almost unheard of feat for an African American person in a 1980s (or '90s or even '00s) horror movie! A masterpiece of the genre.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A true masterpiece

10/10
Author: lindahl-klas from Sweden
2 January 2008

The Thing is in my humble opinion maybe the greatest of all of Carpenter's films. It's great on so many levels, I'm having trouble deciding what I will start with.

All right, first of all, the story is great. We follow a group of researchers, on expedition in Antarctica, far away from civilization. The thought of being helpless in freezing cold conditions without the chance of getting any help is disturbing enough. And as an extra layer of complexity, we have the paranoia and mind-bending element of who-can-I-trust?. Since the group is faced with a never-before seen threat that spreads like a virus no-one knows what to do or who to trust. And the longer times go, and the more of the crew gets tainted by the alien, the more the paranoia grows.

I think essentially why I love this movie so much is because I always try and imagine myself in their situation. Would I panic? Would I turn into MacReady or would I become "the thing"? I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The score, for once not made by John Carpenter, is really really good. We usually hear Ennio Morricone's music in western movies, but he has done a tremendous job with the music to The Thing. Since the music is so essential to the feeling of a certain film, the composer has a crucial task upon him. Morricone made it with brilliance and finesse, and the mood of the picture hits you right at the first credits. Awesome!

So the special effects might not be comparable with todays CGI technology. That doesn't matter, really, in my opinion. It's not only the realism in monsters that decide how good the scares are in all horror movies. Really good horror movies can always depend on the mood setting, the story and the (un)expectation from the viewer. And those things are all as good as they can be in The Thing. Also, the effects aren't bad to begin with, I just wanted to prove a point.

The ending is fantastic. MacReady does the right thing, and ends the film being a hero. He knew his life (or any other's) couldn't be saved, but instead of crawling into a corner and cry like a little baby he did the only right thing. He went out and put an end to the whole thing by blowing up the place, leaving nothing but the bister winter to keep him company (and Childs who cared to show up some explosions too late). When the end credits roll I'm really impressed by this movie. It has me captured frame-by-frame all through the runtime every time I see it.

The Thing undoubtedly has an important quality -- it makes you think and it makes you involved, and it makes you want to watch compellingly all the way to the end.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Comparisons - Pie & Cake

10/10
Author: Gunn from Minnesota
18 November 2007

To the many of you, who like me, gave this film a 10 out of 10 I cannot top your favorable reviews of this masterpiece and I do agree with almost everything you say, so I'll address the comparisons with E.T. made the same year..1982. These 2 films, although Sci-Fi are actually in different genres. E.T. is "Sci-Fi Lite" much like Starman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future 3 and Galaxy Quest to mention a few. They are warm, funny in some cases, awe inspiring and fascinating. E.T. delivers 100 fold in its genre and is definitely a 10 and a classic. John Carpenter's The Thing is "Sci-Fi Horror" much like Alien, Aliens, Bloodsucker and Lifeforce, etc. As a horror flick it delivers with jaw-dropping effects, jump out of your seat action and palm sweating tension, and it, too, delivers 100 fold. It is a classic, still holds up after 25 years and is 10 out of 10. Both are masterpieces and it's not fair to compare them. It'd be like comparing pie & cake.

Post Script: I would highly recommend viewing this film on Blu-Ray DVD as it looks spectacular. Children 13 or younger should not see this film.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

A Milestone

10/10
Author: michaelplewa from United States
22 March 2007

This is a note-perfect film, from beginning to end. From the snowy, desolation of the Research Outpost to the gloriously realized special effects, there isn't one moment of misstep in this whole film. Sublime casting and a truly satisfying ending cement this film as one of the greatest ever made.

You will be on the edge of your seat during the "petry dish" test scene. Giving more away would be too much a spoiler. You did see it parodied on South Park (perhaps) last night, but in the context of this paranoic film, it's the best scene of many outstanding scenes.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the 50's original on the big screen. John Carpenter purportedly idolizes Howard Hawks, but he surpasses his hero with this "remake." The 1950's version is something special, a time-capsule treasure of Hollywood's yesteryear - Carpenter's The Thing is the essential telling of the story.

Enjoy for all the years to come. It will leave you in chills.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

why Oscars will never recognise horrors is EFFIN beyond me

10/10
Author: nab from United Kingdom
26 April 2010

SMALL SPOILERS This film is an awesome film.

AN - AWESOME- FILM

Never mind the mind blowing, age defying special effects.

Never mind the horror/sci fi concept of a creature that violently copies its' victims.

Never mind the homage/remake factor of paying homage to 'IT CAME FROM...' style movies.

THIS IS AN AWESOME FILM!

The script is tight and gives a convincing frame to the visual shocks.

The cinematography plays tricks and entices and confronts the viewer.

The soundtrack is underscored, yet foreboding - enhancing the action.

The performances are solid - swaying between cliché and convincing in a totally competent manner.

It ticks all the boxes for an awesome FILM.

Because it is an awesome film.

First and foremost.

Horror and sci fi are sadly sidelined. An awesome film is an awesome film. Not for the squeamish, but see it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

Because It's Different, Because It's From Outer Space

10/10
Author: geminiredblue from United States
17 December 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If the tag-line for ALIEN was "In space no one can hear you scream", then THE THING might have a tag-line that read: "In Antarctica, no one can hear you scream." Originally, The Thing started life as a novella called WHO GOES THERE? by John W. Campbell. In 1951, Howard Hawks made a loosely-based version called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. It became a classic, bridging the gap between sci-fi and horror, displaying a cast of witty and smart characters and an infuriatingly tough alien. Then in the early 80s, John Carpenter and his crew set out to remake THE THING. Many viewers who had seen the earlier film were put off by it, remarking on the graphic content. What many viewers may not have known is that John Carpenter's version is much closer to the source material. Having read the book, I must admit it was quite original. Now the story: In Antarctica, a US scientific team take in a dog that's running from a couple of Norwegians. However, nothing is as it seems... Not wanting to reveal too many details, let's just say The Thing appears and terrorizes the team. Many of the graphic deaths and mutations remain intact from the book, as well as the claustrophobic locations and growing sense of dread and suspicion. Kurt Russell (a John Carpenter regular) plays the role of R.J. MacReady perfectly, as do the rest of the cast (many of whom are veteran actors). The dripping, nauseating special effects are some of the creepiest ever filmed. And mercifully, Carpenter allows the film to retain the book's terrifying, downbeat ending. For you, the gentle bloodthirsty viewer, there's a little something for everyone to find scary in this one. So make this required viewing, and if you're an avid reader, hunt down WHO GOES THERE? It's equally as strong!!!

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13 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

Cool concept, bad execution

4/10
Author: Damjan Raknic from Zagreb, Croatia
22 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

As a concept it's rather brilliant actually, but it's a shame that the idea never really goes anywhere. The film features a one trick pony with it's main antagonist being a shape-shifting alien that can take over a host in every way and if it evolves to a point it becomes completely indistinguishable from the original. The story quickly abandons any attempt at adding depth to this premise while thoroughly exploiting the scare potential of such a "character". Instead the shape-shifting alien is reduced to just a killer and is exploited for gory thrills and horror scares, but mostly it's just gross. The storytelling is sparse and visually uninteresting. The snow and ice is never really a factor and while it makes for beautiful scenery, but other than that the film looks really plain. The special effects are pretty damn impressive, but what's the use when they serve no other function. The acting is your typical stoic man on a mission fare, and no real emotions or character arcs are explored. Everything about this film is pedestrian and therefore it should be skipped.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

Good one for Halloween.

10/10
Author: cfjackson123 from Earth
29 October 2009

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It's nearly Halloween and if your thinking of a movie compilation this should be the top of your list.

It centers around a group working at a research outpost in the Antarctic, one day there's an attack on the outpost from another research team upon venturing to the other base that housed the team they discover the outpost was destroyed by an organism that can mimic any living creature.

When they return to the outpost they shorty discover the organism has infected the base and they can't tell who isn't what they say they are. This is where this films real horror lies the people who you think you can trust i.e. your friends are the people who try and rip your throat out so the enemy becomes your sense of trust.

The special effects are amazing I recently was able to see a digital presentation of The Thing at the cinema and it looked awesome, usually when you watch this film because its shot against white you get glare on your screen very easily, in the cinema the lighting is set perfectly to prevent glare it really does look a lot better I recommend seeing it on the big screen for anyone.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Godfather of sick 'n' twisted slasher flicks.

10/10
Author: darkness317 (darkness317@mindless.com) from Sylvania, Ohio
29 July 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

(Warning, I spoil the entire movie.)

The Thing is all about... well ya know, the Thing. What is the Thing? An alien, but what kind of alien? I dunno, but it sure is ugly. It's pretty awesome because it can infest people and make them grotesque alien monstrosities. Every little piece of the alien becomes a new, little alien, i.e. one of the victims who is assimilated gets decapitated and his head becomes a spider monster.

What am I going on about? The film is set in Antartica and revolves around 12 American scientists who start getting assimilated One -by-one they get Thinged until only 2 are left alive and the ending is left ambiguous as to their fates. (I think they probably froze to death.)

The Thing has been frozen in the Antartic for thousands of years before being awakened by a Norwegian science team. It kills all but two who're killed in the opening of the film at the American base. Throughout the flick it tries to rebuild it's space ship, which to me proves it was the pilot and was planning on flying away home, where ever that is. However the Americans decide to kill it and they do so with fire!

I love sci-fi; I love horror. I especially love it when the two get mixedand mixed well. I like to think of The Thing as a well shaken vodkamartini of awesomeness. It's my personal favorite horror flick, it has an influence on me as a (wannabe) filmmaker in that It's OK to have disgusting, mutating monsters. I like to know my world has a healthy dose of grotesque, evil beasts from another planet. That makes me happy.

What the hell am I talking about now? Anyway, I hope you've seen it already if you're still reading. (Sorry if you haven't.) Peace.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

The Thing: 2nd Greatest Horror Film Ever!

10/10
Author: hentschellm from United States
4 April 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing

I'm going to give the full review using my standard formula. Let's Begin.

This is in my opinion the 2nd greatest horror film ever only inferior to Alien. The movie is a loose remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World. But for those who say all remakes sucks, try and answer to this. This movie is in my opinion superior to the original. The alien is much more unique, and because of this it's a lot scarier. Not to say the original wasn't scary.

Plot: The plot is great. 12 men in Antarctica see a Norwegian shooting at a dog. They kill the shooter, and take the dog in. I am just setting you up, I won't get anymore into it than that.

Acting: The acting is great. I only recognized two people in this movie, Kurt Russell and Keith Davids. Kurt Russell gave a superb performance as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who must cope with the madness growing in his friends. Everyone gave a great performance in this movie. Using an all male cast everyone gave a convincing performance with fear, anxiety, mental instability, and a loss of trust for best friends.

Horror: Like my title says, in my opinion this is the 2nd greatest horror film ever made inferior only to Alien. John Carpenter gives the perfect idea of fear with an alien who takes control of an organism's body and makes a perfect imitation, looking and sounding like the person, remembering the same thing the person or animal remembers, and acting the same way as well. This goes into the scariest part of the movie, the loss of trust between best friends. As the movie goes along you see the former friends attempting to murder, interrogate, and coerce each other. Also the idea of being isolated in Antarctica is the perfect idea for a horror film. The special effects are great. Rob Bottin did an amazing job with this movie. He started by making sketches of things that had never been done before. He did them and made them spectacular. The music was a very underrated part of the movie. Ennio Morricine made a fabulous score which helped make the movie scary like Halloween.

In my opinion this even beats out horror classics like Halloween and The Birds. It provided a scary premise with a bit taken from the original and the rest taken from the short story. For big horror fans, see this movie right away. If you are truly a horror fan you will see the genius of this horror film. Even if you're not a big horror fan you will see the genius of this movie.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Easily Carpenter's best

10/10
Author: Diego_rjc from São Paulo, Brazil
4 March 2010

'The Thing' came out in 1982. Back then, John Carpenter was already a quite famous director, with hits like 'Assault on Precinct 13' or 'Halloween'. And with the success of 1981's 'Escape from New York, Universal Studios gave Carpenter a free pass to adapt John W. Campbell Jr.'s short story 'Who Goes There?'. The problem is that 'The Thing' came out only two weeks after Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra- Terrestrial'. Therefore, 'The Thing' was a massive fail with the public, and also didn't go well with the critics, saying it was too gore and violent. Now, 28 years have passed, and 'The Thing' acquired a cult status, having the recognition it always deserved - as the best John Carpenter movie.

'The Thing' follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica that are confronted by a blood-thirsty alien creature that assumes the identity of whoever it kills. Now, they don't know who to thrust, and if the other researchers are human or alien. The movie's screenplay is based on a short story by John W. Campbell. Written in 1951, and adapted firstly for the big screen in the same year, this story clearly represents the fear of communists taking over America. But Carpenter's movie came out in 1982, so the Cold War fear is long gone, and he adapts the story in a much more present way. The paranoia subject here is also treated very nicely. The feeling of getting stuck with an alien and to don't know in who to trust builds up along the movie perfectly. There are a few things still unexplained about the movie's story, which proves how well-written this is and also explains why there are so many fans of this. The writing here also allowed John Carpenter to create some of the most scary sequences ever.

The cast here is not very big and is composed only by males, and is headed by Kurt Russell, back then a rising star that also had the leading role in Carpenter's previous movie, 'Escape from New York'. He does his job pretty well, as so did all the other actors. Of course this isn't the kind of movie that depends on the acting in order to work - it's all about the writing and the directing. Aside from Russell, that aren't many famous actors, maybe with the exception of Keith David. A name that is worth mentioning is Wilford Brimley. He was certainly the best member of the cast.

John Carpenter's directing work is, as always, incredible. He has a very strong style, that is present in every single frame of this movie. He manages to create completely scary sequences out of the nowhere, and it's his directing that keeps the movie going. The movie, like every Carpenter one, has that claustrophobic feel to it, and the way Carpenter handles the characters is simply amazing. The opening sequence - with the helicopter chasing the dog, is one of the best opening sequences in the horror movie industry - it settled the mood perfectly, and showed this was no ordinary horror film.

The mood in here is also built by all the other aspects of the movie. The creature design is one of the best in movie's history, and the animations are perfect. As there was no CGI, the movie utilizes makeup to create the illusion of the creatures, and is considered until today a landmark on makeup special effects. It couldn't be better. Ennio Morricone's original music score also did it pretty well, with the use of bass chords pretty common on Carpenter's previous films. The cinematography is also excellent, with a dark and scary mood.

Overral, 'The Thing' is easily John Carpenter's best movie. The reception of the movie when it first came out wasn't really fair to what this movie is. But now, 28 years after the release, people finally realized how good this movie is, acquiring a well-deserved cult status. The excellent writing, along with the good acting and Carpenter's perfect directing make this one of the best and most scary horror movies ever made.

10/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

One of the greatest American films of the post 60s

10/10
Author: bobdyland from United Kingdom
26 September 2008

People with an aversion to gore may find some scenes hard going, but The Thing is far from being simply a horror classic. The fact that the extraordinary special effects stand up against most modern day CGI is only a small part of why this movie is, finally, rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Technically brilliant in its camera-work and editing, superbly scripted and acted, one of the best openings, one of the best endings, tension and paranoia sustained throughout (with countless viewings), an excellent soundtrack, and open to multiple readings and analogy, there simply aren't enough superlatives to do this film justice. Absolutely essential viewing.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

The Ultimate in Sci-Fi Horror!!!

10/10
Author: stallone-9 from Bulgaria
9 March 2008

The tag line says it all.This is indeed scary stuff.This movie is a timeless masterpiece,Kurt Russel's best movie and John Carpenter's best movie too.In my opinion this is scarier than Alien and that means a lot.The atmosphere is creepy-cold,windy Antarctica.This is the perfect setting for this kind of movies.I remember the 1st time I ever watched The Thing.I was with my cousin and we were on the edges of our sits.This is really gross stuff.The make up effects are superb.Even today 26 years later they still look good as ever.Creator Rob Bottin and his team really did an outstanding job.The effects really help make the alien look terrifying.The best part is that this thing can mimic anything organic it touches.That's the best thing about the movie you can't tell who is who.If you want to be scared a lot this is the perfect choice for you.This might be the scariest film of all time.If you're into sci-fi and horror I can't think of a better picture than this-great characters,perfect setting,non stop chills,thrills and horror.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

I Love John Carpenter

10/10
Author: clubbjuliet-42032 from United Kingdom
25 March 2016

The Thing (1982), is directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, as the leader of a crew stuck in Antarctica in the first week of winter because an alien has made its way into their base, kills anything it touches, and can only be destroyed by fire. It's based on the John W.Campbell short story "Who Goes There?" The film is awesome.The Thing is an extremely claustrophobic, tense and frightening story, with fantastic acting, perfect direction and brilliant animatronic/models, that made the cast feel sick to their stomachs when they first saw them, and I don't blame them, they are extremely realistic, detailed and scary. They are used in the best way possible.

As said earlier, the acting is brilliant. The casting of Kurt Russell as R.J "Mac" MacReady is perfect, he is great as a brave but cautious leader that wants to see as little of his crew killed as possible. Keith David is also great as Childs, an extremely angry guy that hates the situation that they are in, and is kinda dislikeable as a character for a lot of the film, which really works to the film's advantage, giving it an element of distrust to go along with the tension.

The direction and cinematography is amazing. The Thing is a beautiful looking film, with amazing set design and perfect lighting. The direction of the scenes is great. In some of the more tense scenes, for example where they are testing blood to see who is a thing and who isn't, is my favourite scene in the entire film, John Carpenter knows just how long to keep a shot going and keep the audience waiting, this winds up the tension perfectly, to an extremely frightening climax to the scene which is shot perfectly. A great thing that John Carpenter did, was to chill the set whilst the scenes were being shot, so it felt like the film was actually being filmed in Antarctica, this also gives the film a very chilling feel, which, in my opinion, just heightens the tension and really improves the film, it also helps you feel like the actors are actually in Antarctica. In interviews of both the actors and John Carpenter, it has been said that the actors AND the director did not know who was the thing and who wasn't in all of the dialogue scenes, which means that when you are watching it you know just as much as the actors, which really helps with bringing an element of distrust to the film.

Overall, The Thing is the perfect science-fiction/horror film, along with Alien. 10/10 from me.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

"Must Have" for your horror collection....

9/10
Author: jdaughtry002 from United States
22 May 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What can I say? John Carpenter does it again! Wonderful movie about an Artic Expeditionary group trapped in the Artic with little time left to live. It all starts out with a helicopter chasing a wolf/husky through the glaciers shooting and throwing bombs at it. We soon learn that this dog is actually the carrier for some intergalactic "Thing" that can change into anything it touches, well attempts to in some cases. AEWSOME special effects and gore; I love gory films, and almost lost my cereal on this gem. I strongly recommend watching the Collectible Edition with some hour or more of added behind the scenes of the movie including the special effects. Kurt Russell does a wonderful job with his style of witty humor (pouring his whiskey into a computer's motherboard after he loses to it over a game of chess). His lead role really sets the mood for this movie's "entrapment" feeling.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

The Gospel according to Saint Carpenter

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
3 August 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film is a sort of Matrix for many modern films about aliens. It has antecedents for sure but they did not have enough special effects and big enough budgets enabling them not to show the zipper in the back of the monsters. The original element is the location: the Antarctica. A place that has been re-used since by a certain Predator when he met with some Aliens of a more recent generation. There, if an alien life form that can penetrate any living organism and take it over completely appears it can disrupt any human group so much that they will self destroy in order to destroy the alien thing forgetting that anyway the alien form can survive even centuries of glaciation because it is not human or animal and hence it is not even sensitive to cold. The alien is always the winner and it will sooner or later manage to learn how to be patient, penetrate a living organism and stay rampant in it long enough to be taken to real society, to millions of people concentrated in small areas That's the idea of the film. And it ends the way it has to end. Two apparently human beings are still alive. One is contaminated, probably not two, but they are going to die of cold in their human form, their human organism. Carpenter even makes one black and the other white and the circumstances he uses makes the black one dubious, suspicious, whereas the white one seems to be the normal one, but who really knows? The alien or aliens will go dormant in the cold, in hibernation. There is no escape, no end. Our human world is bound to be taken over not by more intelligent beings but by biologically more advanced life forms. And we may wonder if our intelligence will be enough to compensate for the handicap.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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121 out of 180 people found the following review useful:

One of the best scary films I've seen

Author: Ray Brooks from California
11 August 1998

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Still my all time favorite sci-fi/horror!!!

10/10
Author: PeachHamBeach from Morro Bay, Hammett Valley, Twin Rocks
22 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The silly saying, "You can't touch this" surely applies here. With all the clone horror and sci-fi films coming out, along with all the inferior remakes, it's hard to find anything worthy of 2 hours of your time. That's why I always rely on the classics that scared the weewee out of me when I was a pre-teen.

THE THING is, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, the goriest, ickiest, screechiest sci-fi horror classic that John Carpenter, or any other director (sorry, even you Mr. Spielberg) ever made. What really gives it power, though, is not the gore (it OOOOOZES of slime and blood and God knows what other fluids), but rather the sense of dread, isolation, and distrust it fosters in the characters and the viewer.

You can't get more remote than Antarctica, and in this howling, freezing white setting is where the story takes place. Several Americans, researchers and military men, are stationed there. One day, they witness a Siberian Husky dog running for dear life from gun-wielding Norwegians. Before they know it, the American outpost is battling a mysterious creature that can imitate any creature it wants. It may morph into disgusting slimy bloody shapes before it's finished, but once it's finished, if you didn't see it in progress, you can't tell it among humans or other normal Earth animals.

Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffatt, TK Carter, Thomas Waites and Charles Hallahan are just a few of the fine cast. This film is the reason why horror CAN be a great genre. It actually STILL scares me. The alien blood "jumping" out of the petri dish when the hot wire touches it still makes ME jump!!!

Still the scariest of them all.

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

"Gimmie that Thing"!,

8/10
Author: unreasonableboy from Dallas, Texas
4 February 2007

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Thing has to be one of the all time great movies. Of course it was ground breaking special effects at the time of it's release that impressed me so much, back in 1982 it just blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like that! However, although the effects themselves made the movie more horrific, it was the story itself, the music score , the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Anarctic as well as the interaction and tension between the members of the doomed research station that makes it a classic.

Movies don't get any better than this! In the opening scene with the the chopper chasing this husky you just assume that it was some bored scientists from some station letting of some steam. Yet when you see them continue their chase at the US base you then think that the Norwegians are suffering from some form of advanced or extreme strain of cabin fever. Yet this is offset by the menacing opening music score that sets the tempo! You just know that something is not right! At this point it's a mystery until 'the thing' reveals itself.

However, the mystery returns because it becomes a sort of Agatha Christie "who dunnit" ( i.e. ten little Indians movie) sci-fi style as the members don't know which one of their team is really an alien. Suspicion continues to go back and forward between them all as one by one they eventually get knocked off or revealed as the alien. The mistrust between the station crew is absorbing as the movie progresses until the final showdown.

After 20 years of advances in computer graphics and film making production the special effects in "the Thing" don't carry the same weight as it did in 1982, but other than that it holds up very well all round with some great performances by the cast.

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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

The last John Carpenter classic

10/10
Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
1 May 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In 1982, two films were released within weeks of each other that were both about aliens. Steven Spielberg's ET, and John Carpenter's The Thing. Of the two of them, ET was the one that won the hearts of people the world over, even though The Thing debuted first. Because people were so entranced with Spielberg's warm, fuzzy feelgood alien fable, they stayed away from The Thing in droves.

Its not hard to see why. The two are diametrically opposed. One is an optimistic tale designed to warm the cockles of the still-beating heart. The other is a harsh, uncompromising film that paints alien life as something purely determined to destroy us. I guess audiences felt ET was a much cuter prospect than The Thing's tentacles and slime coated saliva!

It's taken some time, but The Thing has gone on to win over a substantial cult audience. As it should. Because The Thing is that rare example of a superior remake. It takes all the best qualities of the 1951 classic, and reinvents them in startling and imaginative ways. Indeed Carpenter does his job so well he actually succeeds in making a film that is in every inch the equal of the genre's showrunner, Alien. And that's even rarer!

Carpenter's film follows its source material more faithfully than The Thing From Another World did. It keeps the frigid wastes of Antarctica as a setting, because its the perfect backdrop when you're trying to establish a heightened sense of isolation. But although a bit thin on characterisation, the remake gets right inside the mindset of the actors, and amplifies the uncertainty and fear that slowly surrounds them.

Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell returns, hot off the success of Escape From New York, cast once again as one of Carpenter's perpetual anti-heroes. He plays MacReady, the helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research station (what they're researching is anyone's guess). The trouble begins when a Norwegian chopper from a nearby station flies over MacReady's, trying to gun down a Siberian Husky from the air.

They end up dying for their troubles, and while the camp tries to solve the mystery of what happened, they take in the Husky and add it to their own. Except that this Husky, is not a Husky at all. But a shape-changing alien. The Norwegians discovered it frozen in the ice, and when they thawed it out, it massacred their crew. Capable of absorbing its victims at will, it can duplicate a living being right down to the smallest detail. Soon paranoia and suspicion works its way through the 12-man crew, until no-one is certain who is human and who is not.

The Thing is one of John Carpenter's finest films. In fact I'm tempted to say its the best film he's ever made. Even surpassing classics like Halloween and Dark Star. The reason why I place The Thing at the top of Carpenter's list is that it feels like the last film of his that could truly be called a classic. All the others thereafter have felt like Carpenter was slumming it. Films that didn't flow with the cool sophistication and ragged intensity so prevalent in his earlier works.

But The Thing had John Carpenter at the peak of his powers. Never has he generated suspense to such an unbearable degree. Not even in the ferocious Assault on Precinct 13. From the second the alien makes its presence known, Carpenter ratchets up the tension level relentlessly. And when he delivers his punches, they come with an agonising jolt.

The film is a blend of pure atmospherics and visceral horror. An approach that can often seem at odds with one another, but in Carpenter's hands melds together beautifully. Bringing in Rob Bottin of The Howling fame, he lays to bear some of the most astonishing transformation effects you'll ever see in a horror film. Amorphous shapes. Half-formed human features starkly contrasted with gaping jaws, spider legs and fully flexible tentacles. Indeed the film's effects are so amazing and squirm-inducing, The Thing came under fire for being too realistic!

That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It only shortchanges the film's values. And there are many. Carpenter only stages an effects setpiece when he needs to. Its in the film's quieter moments where he seems especially attuned to the story. The Thing is an often bewildering tale of shadows, whispers and implications. Characterisation has never been one of John Carpenter's strong suits, but it works to his advantage in The Thing. Because we hardly know anything about the cast, it only makes the present situation that much more confusing. We're never certain, from one moment to the next who is who. And because of this, The Thing holds up very well and maintains its mystery on subsequent viewings.

A special mention should go to the excellent film score from Ennio Morricone. A pulsing thud thud every two seconds. It creates an eerie, spooky feeling that is very hard to shake. The whole film is a wonderful exercise in paranoid manipulation. The scene where they blood-test each other to see who's human is wound up with such dexterity by Carpenter, you may find yourself biting your nails without even realising.

The Thing is a pure unadulterated classic. Even the ending leaves you with the vague suspicion that not everything is resolved. An underrated film, well worth the reappraisal it received. And so much better than ET!

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

Quality does not Age

9/10
Author: Greg Mullins from Boca Raton, FL
17 May 2011

This is one of the classic Guy films. Horror sci fi as it was meant to be - a real story with good acting. Giving us something missing from almost all horror movies - depth and character. Providing a much needed respite from the cardboard cut outs pasted and slashed throughout, that have been filling the genre for decades. Which has given this style of movie-making it's well deserved reputation and status - of being both Invalid and Not Art. Though John Carpenter himself has been one of the staunchest purveyors of such ilk, it is my humble opinion that he did well with this one, and maybe two others.

One of the best uses of curious as a tool, it lures you in a bit unexpectedly with a somewhat whimsical, almost playful beginning. Rich in atmosphere, while stark in landscape - you find yourself as intrigued by the people as you are the monster. The remoteness of the region gives a true sense of the isolation of the real life McMurdo Sound Naval Station (as it was called when I was in the Navy) which is on the very southern tip of Ross Island in the Antarctic, and is the portal for all things going to the South Pole. I think now it's simply known as McMurdo Station, with the story taking place at a small satellite station outside (probably fictional), as McMurdo is mentioned in the film.

Kurt Russell who started acting as a kid when I was a kid has never taken Hollywood too seriously, which I've always thought was pretty cool. He's done his share of trash films over the years, but there's been a handful of roles that have more than demonstrated his caliber as one of our great actors. His version of Wyatt Earp is by far the most recognized and almost as good as George C. Scott's Patton. I said almost. He's the center of a strong cast of seasoned actors with many recognizable faces and solid performances. I watched it last night with a good friend who had never seen it, and it was just as good as when I first saw it in the theater - almost 30 yeeeaaars ago. Add it to your library, you'll watch it many times . .

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14 out of 19 people found the following review useful:

the most professionally astute horror film of the 80's, very entertaining

10/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States
31 December 2005

In following the lines of the classic formula to a point of taking another leap off from the material, The Thing remake becomes one of the coolest remakes of its time. John Carpenter fashions out of what must've been a fairly vague screenplay about certain things (or maybe very descriptive who knows), bringing forth incredibly wretched, brilliant puppetry and animatronics by Rob Bartin (with Stan Winston also on the team). These effects help set the tone against the harsh, detached environment Carpenter sets up with his characters. The film takes the story of a group stationed in a research bunker in the middle of an arctic climate, pitted against a malevolent force that takes the shapes of others. It's given a full life by Carpenter's choice of tones, and surprises. For someone following in the footsteps of Howard Hawks, the filmmaker here has a lot more trust and talent in executing the material than most given the chance to have another go with an old film.

With the effects people working to full force- amid what would likely follow Backdraft as containing the most fire per scene (it could become overkill, but it all fits into the suspense after a while)- the actors pull along as a fine ensemble. Unlike the squad in Predator, these are mostly just regular working guys, with the leader coming in the from of Kurt Russell's MacCreedy (very good role for his style, excellent in fact). Juicy supporting roles are out for grabs for the likes of Wilford Brimley and Keith David. And it is refreshing to see how the sort of absurdity of what's going on in the film (an alien that starts off with dogs and then moves onto the others in gory, demented transforming form) is pit against such a tone of timing with everyone. I loved the long silences at times, with Ennio Morricone's spooky, curious music in the background (and that bass line is of merit in itself).

It ranks up with being, if nothing else, delivering what it strives for for its genre/cult audience. It remains one of Carpenter's best; a rare breed of horror film where the story is told clear and precisely by way of the position of the camera, dialog, and timing with the scenes. That's not to say the film isn't chock full of violence, it is, and in fact a couple of times it's almost funny. But given that it goes back to what is ridiculously seeming like a by-gone era, the creatures/make-up, alongside the steady, well-calculated script, was done completely without CGI. It's disgusting, but it's real, and atmospheric to a T.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

"The Thing" is John Carpenter's masterpiece and one of the best classic horror films!

10/10
Author: ivo-cobra8 from Slovenia
31 October 2015

A classic film. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. This is how all movies of the genre should be made. Set on an isolated base in Antarctica, this version seems almost to pick up where the original version (The Thing From Another World) left off. The American scientists discover a decimated Norwegian base some miles distant. Everyone is dead, and only the half charred remains of some unidentifiable thing left to smolder outside the compound might offer any answers to what may have happened. The Thing is brought back to the American base and, too late, the scientists realize that it is alive and lethal. The Thing thaws out and is off, not only killing anyone and anything that crosses Its path, but also absorbing them, making Itself into whoever and whatever it wants. The film then turns into a brilliant paranoia piece. Everyone is suspect, anyone can be The Thing, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Gone is the strength and security found when human beings band together in spite of their differences to battle a monster. The group splinters and fear rules supreme. Who is the Thing?

Seriously I Love this movie I love it To Death. I love Escape From New York and I love Escape From L.A. but I also love The Thing so much better this is definitely the best Carpenter film a truly masterpiece classic I love R.J. MacReady - Kurt Russell I love everything about this film that is. Science Fiction, Horror and an Action Epic Film. A lot of the practical effects were left out but the it looked nice and the acting was good and it expanded upon the monsters background and showing you the inside of the ship. It must of been tough to bring across on screen the visual design.

In my opinion, nobody has topped this film in the 25-odd years since its release. I'll put any of "The Thing's" old-school effects up against any CGI-driven movie, or this cast against almost any other ensemble. If you haven't seen the film yet, I envy you because I WISH I could see "The Thing" again for the first time. WOW! Does more need to be said? How about this...there is no parallel. Who's your friend? Who's the Thing? Who do you trust? Who can you afford to trust? If you've never seen this movie...your in for a treat. The only other movie that had such an impact on me was The Matrix (the first movie)...where I left the theater touching the walls wondering if they were really real. This movie will leaving you wondering....is the guy/gal next to you really real?

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror.

The basic plot about this movie is Horror-moister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell.

It is one of the best favorite horror films of the 80's ever. I love this film to death. The Thing is the best classic horror film from master and genius John Carpenter! 'The Thing' is classic Carpenter and one of the few remakes that is better than the original. Kurt Russell's characters: Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady and Jack Burton are Kurt's best favorite characters he ever played. I also love the music score from Ennio Morricone! Awesome!!!

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat Director: John Carpenter Producers: David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Wilbur Stark, Stuart Cohen Screenplay: Bill Lancaster Based On: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $13.782.838

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

"Man is still the warmest place to hide."

10/10
Author: Kieran Green (greene515@hotmail.com) from Scotland
1 May 2010

The film opens ominously with a flying saucer hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere then we are met with terrific titles which literally 'burn on to the screen 'John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

The movie Begins In Antarctica Winter 1982 The first(god damn week of winter) with Two Norwegians in a helicopter who are in hot pursuit of a a Husky, which flees the helicopter and makes it through the snow to a United States science station Outpost 31, The twelve all male occupants emerge to see what's happening. as the helicopter lands the two men end up dead one accidentally with the help of a misplaced grenade and the other is shot dead.

The Americans don't know it yet, but their camp has just been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien, And as the tag-line so succinctly puts it "Man is the warmest place to hide." this just has to be John Carpenter's finest picture it has now received the recognition it finally deserves, i always watch this classic on a regular basis it's a film upon every viewing you can get different readings to an extent it is quotable there is a prequel in the works but only time will tell if it is going to be on par with this masterpiece be sure you watch this classic in widescreen.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Ten things about The Thing.

10/10
Author: tyler-and-jack from Edinburgh.
17 April 2010

1) Despite Carpenter also giving us the greatness of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and more, this movie is an absolute classic of the horror genre.

2) It's a remake, based on the Christian Nyby/Howard Hawks movie "The Thing From Another World" and the story THAT was based on, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. The original movie was briefly shown on TV as part of the Halloween line-up the kids watch in . . . Halloween.

3) Thanks to the amazing work of Rob Bottin it features some of the best special effects work ever, all stuff that holds up to this day. Nasty, visceral, alien and eye-poppingly impressive.

4) The Carpenter-esque, minimal synth score was by Ennio Morricone, a fact I often forget while enjoying the movie.

5) It has an all-male cast and all of them are never less than great, with Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley standing out amongst an ensemble cast of sheer class.

6) Beyond the blood and guts on screen, there are some interesting ideas here about identity, a sense of self and a "trust no one" attitude that would, of course, become the watchwords of X-Files fans at the turn of the twenty-first century.

7) There has been a video game developed from the movie's premise (approximately 20 years after the movie was released) and it's surprisingly good.

8) Contains one of my favourite ever lines: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F*-&KING COUCH!"

9) In a year dominated by Spielberg's little, friendly E.T. it was not great news at the box office for The Thing but home video and subsequent word of mouth saw it become a much-loved film by horror fans and deservedly so, in my opinion.

10) I first saw The Thing at the tender age of twelve years old. On a small, black and white TV. With a lot of static. While eating a curry. Despite the lack of a crystal clear screen I still could not eat my curry. Needless to say, that's now a cherished memory within my twisted Thing-loving psyche.

See this if you like: The Thing From Another World, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

This "Thing" DELIVERS!

10/10
Author: Boggman from Laguna Hills, CA
23 June 2005

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

OMG! "The Thing" is John Carpenters masterpiece! I watched this movie fore the first time last night; alone, in my darkened basement and it scared the living hella outta me! This movie ROCKS! Somehow, "The Thing" always eluded me. I never knew much about it and never really had an interest in it until I started doing a little research on the internet of horror/sci-fi movies I had not seen.

First off, "The Thing" holds up marvelously 23 years after its release! In fact, this movie could probably be re-released today and make a ton of money. It's just THAT good. With so many of our classic horror movies being re-made these days; I doubt that this film will ever be re-made anytime soon because it just still plays so very well.

Well written, acted, & shot, "The Thing" is one heck of a gore fest. The graphic violence in the "The Thing" is just amazingly shocking, realistic, and awesome! Quick plot summary: A US research team working in the Antarctic comes across a Norwegian base that has been deserted. They find a dead and deformed body and take it back for research. The end up learning that something has attacked the Norwegians and is somehow shape-shifting with detailed precision into a predatory killer. By researching the evidence left behind by the Norwegians, they find a space ship that looks like it crashed in the snow some time ago.

They soon realize they are being stalked, and it could be anyone of the team. They began to lose all trust and confidence in each other and quickly began to turn against their colleagues.

Will they find WHO amongst them is a "Thing"? Can anyone kill this creature before it wipes them all out and infects our entire civilization? Kurt Russel rounds out a very nice cast of actors in this fantastic thrill ride. I was very impressed and satisfied with John Carpenter's "The Thing".

I cant recommend this movie enough! Enjoy!!

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Carpenter's Best Work

8/10
Author: thefinalcredits from Wales, UK
31 August 2016

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Trust is a tough thing to come by these days."

The centre-piece of this feature is the bleak, isolated Antarctic landscape in which the story is set, which Carpenter contrasts so effectively from the outset with the claustrophobic confines of the American research base. The latter was built from scratch at the edge of a glacier in Stewart, British Columbia, with the remoteness of the location shoot exemplified by the cast and crew's hair- raising tales of being transported there. Based on John W Campbell's 1938 story 'Who Goes There?', this adaptation is much more faithful to the source material than Howard Hawks' 1951 original version, 'The Thing From Another World'. Thus, it is ironic that much of the criticism levelled at this production when it was released at the box-office was in lambasting Carpenter for creating such a dark and violent vision in comparison to Hawks' treasured original treatment. In fact, Carpenter not only paid homage to Hawks' original in his version, but also in his earlier body of work. In his 1978 breakthrough, it is playing on the TV set where Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting, while in this feature the video footage the American team watch to learn what their Norwegian counterparts have unearthed consists of clips from Hawks' version. Carpenter's version's poor critical reception was largely based on its gory special effects, with Roger Ebert dismissing it as a 'barf-bag movie', while Hawks' 1951 director, Christian Nyby, wounded Carpenter by caustically commenting: 'If you want blood, go to the slaughterhouse'. It is clear that by wishing to preserve the shape-shifting alien presence of the source material, and thereby avoid the 'man in a costume' horror of his childhood, Carpenter irrevocably tied his film's fortunes to the quality and reception of its special effects. A second upshot of this decision was in handing total creative licence to special makeup effects creator, Rob Bottin. Having cut his teeth the year previously on 'The Howling', this former apprentice to Rick Baker both thrilled and appalled audiences in equal measure with his nightmarish visions. Though a little dated today, these still retain the power to shock, and deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. In spite of Bottin's laudable workmanship, what they did earn at the time was both a notoriety which deflected attention away from the film's strengths, as well as a period of hospitalisation for Bottin out of pure exhaustion. A further critique aimed at this production was a lack of sufficient characterisation, though it could be argued that with a plot so driven by suspicion, the audience's lack of in-depth knowledge of individual characters adds further to the tension. It is clear that the screenplay, penned by the son of Burt Lancaster whose only other screen writing credit was for the light comedies of the 'Bad News Bears' franchise, is as much of a psychological thriller as it is a visceral horror story. As Carpenter himself later commented: 'The paranoia is the glue that holds the movie together'. This is gradually racked up by the director before reaching its apogee in the film's most acclaimed blood-test scene. It is also supported by Ennio Morricone's throbbing baseline soundtrack, which was so unfairly nominated for a 'Razzie'. Many have questioned the plausibility of the actions of the men trapped on the base with this shape-shifting presence, forgetting that the latter's arrival sharpens the level of mistrust and friction which had been building throughout the team's isolation from the wider world. As such, the alien interloper in its desire to survive at all costs is able to exploit the breakdown of discipline as the team's fragile relationship is tested to its limits under siege. The cast give commendable performances in capturing the escalating tension and dread, none more so than Keith David as the volatile 'Childs' whose belligerence surfaces towards Kurt Russell's hirsute, cynical, renegade helicopter pilot as they bid to take control of the beleaguered survivors. It is fitting that these two characters are the only ones left to await the dying of the flames of their razed base uncertain as to whether their enmity is purely on human terms or one biological organism against another. This is another perfect vehicle provided by Carpenter for Russell's ability to deliver an understated but memorable performance in a role turned down by both Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Russell also contributed the final lines of dialogue: 'Why don't we just...wait here a little while...see what happens?' Although now regarded as a cult movie which raised the bar for the horror genre, this production 's failure at the box office marked the last time Carpenter would be entrusted with a major studio, big-budget vehicle, and the virtual end of Lancaster's career, as both were removed from plans to have them bring Stephen King's 'Firestarter' to the big screen. A victim of the timing of its release to audiences warmed to a much more benign vision of alien visitation in blockbuster, 'E.T.', Carpenter's feature has finally accrued the plaudits it deserves.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A horror classic

8/10
Author: grantss from Sydney, Australia
23 July 2016

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed and attacked by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They appeared to be trying to kill one of the dogs from the US base. Having dealt with the threat, the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate.

A horror classic. A well crafted story, directed by horror legend John Carpenter. He builds the plot well, meticulously setting the scene and ramping up the tension with good effect. The period where anyone could be infected / inhabited is particularly suspenseful.

Excellent special effects, especially for 1982. Very gory, imaginative and realistic. Some of the images from the movie are quite iconic and will be familiar from pop culture, they've been reused so much.

Ending is maybe a bit too ambiguous for my liking. While I don't generally like neat, happy Hollywood endings, this possibly went too much in the opposite direction. A greater degree of closure, or at least an indication of where the story was heading, was in order, I think.

Solid performances all round. Kurt Russell is particularly good in the lead role, playing the quick-thinking action hero very well.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

The Best Masterpiece of Horror.

10/10
Author: gbofaisst from Victoria, Australia
14 July 2016

John Carpenter is always my favorite directer with along with Guillemo Del Toro, Stephen Norrington and Fritz Lang. The Thing is an great movie that ever made in 1982 and still had it today. The Thing is a first movie in the Apocalypse Trilogy, which continued with Prince Of Darkness and ended with In the Mouth of Madness.

The Thing is widely regarded as one of John Carpenter's greatest masterpieces, and I would personally consider it a contender for the title of the best horror film ever made. It didn't always receive such a rosy reception, though. It was released in theaters just weeks after Steven Spielberg's much more blockbuster-friendly E.T., and its theatrical performance and initial critical reception weren't anything to write home about, the movie had became a beloved cult classic over the years.

The movie is a remake from 1951 The Thing From Another and was directed by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby and adapted from a John W. Campbell short story; however, implicit Lovecraft allusions abound.

The Thing. The story concerns an alien creature found frozen in Antarctic ice that can absorb, digest, and then imitate perfectly any creature that it comes into contact with. What follows from its discovery is a classic meditation on paranoia, punctuated by some of the best practical special effects ever put on film. The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World, which was itself based on a short story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

Once it is revealed, the titular Thing is almost entirely unknowable. Not only is it alien in the most literal sense, but it's also outside of normally understood biology, genetically dissimilar from all life on earth. When discussing how the Thing can do what it does, or how it can live after being frozen for so long, one of the characters (played by Kurt Russell) says, "Cuz it's different than us, see. Cuz it's from outer space." And that's about all the more understanding of its reasoning the characters ever get. Though the creature can obviously speak perfectly when it is imitating one of the humans, it never explains itself.

The Movie is awesome in every way with an strong story, great actors and with great special effects. If you a john carpenter fan (just like i am) this movie is perfect for a horror movie night.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

A masterwork of horror atmosphere and special effects

10/10
Author: NateWatchesCoolMovies from Canada
27 October 2015

No horror movie brings you quite the icy, venereal chill of John Carpenter's The Thing. It's an undisputed horror classic that has lived on since it's slightly anticlimactic, ill received release back in the 80's (people didn't know a good fright flick when they saw it back then, I guess). Nevertheless, it's a heart stopping odyssey of ambient antarctic unease, sickening, squirm inducing practical effects, and a veil of impending danger and paranoia that blankets both the characters and the viewer, like the thick drifts of snow that blanket the screen to gorgeous effect. The story by now is timeless: a team of antarctic researchers in a remote location come across a gigantic spacecraft buried in the tundra, and unearth a grotesque, frozen creature that upon being thawed, wreaks havoc on them and their facility. It's an imitator, this monster, and can hide in plain sight, within the flesh and blood of any one of their crew. This gives way to extreme distrust, mental unraveling and mutiny as it turns them against one another. For me there's nothing quite as iconic as the opening: Ennio Morricone's ominous, rhythmical score kicks in as we see two hysterical Norwegians in a helicopter, Chasing a dog across the frozen terrain. It's one of the most dazzling, evocative entrances to a fright flick ever filmed. Kurt Russell, in his whiskered, macho glory plays Macready, the head of the team. Russell is always solid, especially in genre stuff, and he's almost as distinct and iconic here as his Snake Plissken character. T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Keith David Wilford Brimley and more round out the rest of the team, and I won't mention standouts because they're all just fantastic and each play their part to a T. A huge highlight is the gruesome creature effects. When the it tries to imitate something and messes up, the result is a grossly misshapen slab of slimy nondescript gore, guaranteed to freak and gross you out in equal measures. I won't spoil anything with specifics, but the dog kennel and defibrillator scenes are time capsule worthy and should be shown in special effects makeup schools as a shining example. Carpenter pulls off the second absolutely flawless horror movie of his career with this one, not an easy feat, especially in this genre. All the parts fit together perfectly, resulting in as chilling sci fi horror for the ages.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

"Clear!" I've loved this great classic for just about forever, it's just so endlessly gripping and so much fun.

10/10
Author: Foreverisacastironmess from ukwitchcountry
27 May 2015

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Before I even start, if you haven't seen this movie, *go* see this movie! If you enjoy tension and horror in the slightest go and see it, 'cause you will probably love it. It's one of those very special and fearsomely distinctive kinds of horror movies from yesteryear that has the rare enduring charm and quality about it that just more than stands the test of time. I suppose it's a simple and straightforward enough tale of fear, distrust, and most importantly twisted alien abominations, and how they slowly but surely invade and infect the desperate souls who are trapped in a place where none of them can hope to escape or even call for help, which of course just raises the despair and unease to new levels. This group of essentially doomed men must try and prevent the end of the world, provided they can figure out who to trust and who is still human before it's too late... Damn if it isn't so near-perfectly made, everything about it is handled so well and works out so beautifully. The starkly freezing visuals and cinematography is suffused with fear and unseen menace, with the early point in the film where they visit the grim charred remains of the Norwegian camp being especially nightmarish and creepy because unbeknownst to them, that's what's lying ahead. It just draws you right in and makes you almost feel like your in their shoes, and that's one of the things that I think a worthwhile horror picture is meant to do, it immerses you in the environment of what you're watching. I like how the cast are all interesting guys who are different from one another, and while they're not super-developed or anything you definitely care about them enough that you fully share their horror at what's befalling them. I really like the performance of the dog in the opening act which isn't all that it seems, you get a very sinister vibe from it, it doesn't look like your average plain old happy dumb dog, it looks like it's thinking and waiting for something. Way to go dog.. Never looks at the camera once! I don't believe that you can truly love this film without enjoying all the aspects of it, some love it for all the psychological atmosphere, whereas myself I lean more towards the monsterfest splatter side of things(!). But the creature appearances and the mood play off each other, every build-up is paid off, and when the Thing does explode out of nowhere when you're least expecting it, it's really the cherry on the top. I'd put my money on it as the scariest monster ever, I mean what's more alarming than the terror of your own body and mind being stolen and corrupted from within and turned against you? The horrific concept of the parasite taking over is truly used to its fullest potential. As a creature, I see the overall entity of the Thing as a giant all-consuming mouth, with each separate organism a tooth, and all that they can really do is to see how long they can, stem the jaw... The complete carnage of the monster attacks is violent and revolting, but also so undeniably fascinating that you just can't look away, it's like madness given form... My favourite is the sideways snappy-head because the legendary build up to it with the blood test is so perfectly nail-biting to me every time. The moment is so hectic that it's almost absurdly comedic, the way poor frightened Windows has his head thoroughly chewed on before being spat out! It's a picture that really shows what could be done with the technique of practical effects. I could not believe that nobody ever won any awards for those effects, or that this excellent film was so unfairly torn apart by the critics at the time of its release. That was grossly unfair and messed up, but...it does seem indeed that all good 'Things' really do come to those who wait, and over the years it has got every last bit of acclaim and recognition that it always deserved. John Carpenter may not have technically created the idea of the Thing, but it's because of this movie and his awesome vision why people recognise it to this day, it was him that breathed life into it and gave it an enduring(many!) face and identity. My god this movie is brilliant, no other adaptation holds a candle it it, it gave the original story the presentation it deserved. Thrilling, perfectly-casted and excellently written, I can honestly recommend this to anyone that loves gruesome horror or edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense. This movie is gold, savour it on a long cold night...

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Absolutely amazing entry without any real flaws

10/10
Author: GL84 from Los Angeles, Ca
16 June 2011

A group of scientists at an Arctic research base find themselves under attack by a shape-shifting alien creature that mimics anything it touches, leading them to struggle to know who's-who in the fight against the creature.

This is a wonderfully impressive and utterly fun entry, with a lot to love about it. The fact that it manages to capture an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, from the extreme isolation of the situation to a series of brilliant set-pieces at the end to ensure that it'll be impossible to determine who's what when it comes down to figuring out the identity of the alien in disguise amongst them. Chief among these, and a film highlight in its own sense, is the classic blood-test sequence, which is just marvelously done and never once gives away it's secret twist, which is highly creative and makes the film all the better when it's followed by a scene of incredible imagination with its disembodied head gag. It's a running theme throughout the film, of intense suspense followed by rather impressive special effects to punctuate it, all done convincingly and never really allowed to dominate one way over the other in the film. It's action is unparalleled, as the finale is a huge fire-filled battle in the basement, and it's never clear who will win out, and earlier battles are just as impressive as the film utilizes a rather oft-overlooked technique of making something to be feared known to loose in a situation where they can't escape, using the situation to its advantage throughout and never letting it go. Even the gore is impressive, offering tons of splatter to shoot across with reckless abandon and making for a never-ending series of great kills. One of the most impressive films in the genre.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and animals-in-peril

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

You couldn't ask for better sci-fi horror!

10/10
Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA
14 January 2006

Another well-loved horror masterpiece from director John Carpenter is this unforgettable re-imagining of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World.

Scientists stationed at an outpost on the South Pole are terrorized by a mysterious shape-shifting alien.

Themes of paranoia, the unknown, and isolation are very common in the horror/scifi genre and they are well utilized in this film. John Carpenter directs this film with gusto, giving it a terrificly haunting and bleak atmosphere. Ennio Morricone adds all the more to the atmospheric spookiness with his eerie music score. However, the best highlight of The Thing is undoubtedly the awesome special FX of Rob Bottin. Even by today's standards of CGI visual FX, the creature creations of Bottin are truly outstanding. This film was made nearly 25 years ago and still the creepy alien FX of The Thing manage to shock and thrill! An impressive feat indeed.

Another highlight is the great cast of the film, the best of which is hero Kurt Russell in one of his most challenging roles.

All around, The Thing is a stunning combination of moody atmosphere and out-of-this-world horrors. It remains as one of Carpenter's best films and stands as one of the greatest alien-horror films out there!

**** out of ****

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:

John Carpenter's The Thing!

10/10
Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.
4 January 2004

This is one of John Carpenter's best movie if not his best! In My opinion it is one of the best films to date! I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but here I will say the following! Kurt Russell was very good! The other cast members including Wilford Brimley, Richard A. Dysart, Keith David, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Masur performed well! The movie has many thrilling moments and it does a great job at keeping you in suspense! I just love the unpredictableness! The film is very interesting and is quite scary at times! It has some gore and great effects! In My opinion in the very beginning before the credits where you see the space ship coming toward Earth is one of the greatest special effects of all time and then you see the fantastic Thing logo with such chilling music which is one of the greatest title sequences ever! Morricone's score is very good and it has that great John Carpenter sound! Carpenter directed this greatly and I love how he remade the scenes of the ship in the ice and the hole in the ice block that belonged to the missing corpse! The artwork on the movie box is excellent! If you love John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other cast members mentioned above, horror, action, sci-fi, thrilling, suspense, and alien movies then this is the perfect movie to watch! Strongly recommended!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

I also recommend these John Carpenter films: Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween, The Fog, Starman, Christine, Village of the Damned, and They Live!

If you like alien movies I also recommend the following films: The Thing from another World, The War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The UFO Incident, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial, Time Walker, Mac and Me, Explorers, Invaders from Mars, Communion, Fire in the Sky, Independence Day, The Arrival, Mars Attacks! Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Puppet Masters, Life Form, The X-Files: Fight the Future, Signs, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Predator, Predator 2, The entire Star Wars saga (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, & Attack of the Clones), the entire Star Trek movie saga (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, & Nemesis) and Stephen King's IT!

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Forget E.T, The Thing is The Real Alien Film of 1982.

9/10
Author: LagerLagerLagerShouting from England
1 May 2008

John Carpenter's brilliantly suspenseful flick is a great fusion of Sci-Fi and horror, adopting the classic body-swap theme and taking it to the extreme. A remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 original, Carpenter keeps the Cold-War themes of paranoia and trust as a backdrop of alien takeover and impending doom amidst madness and the isolation of the Antarctic setting. Carpenter's direction as always is excellent as his camera glides through the lonely world of the characters whose inhabitable environment is about to be corrupted by the primordial fear of body takeover. But here and much like the work of David Cronenberg, Carpenter doesn't hold back on the incident, as through some fantastic special effects we are witness to some insane moments of surreal gore. However, he never loses touch with the human side of the story, as in the face of everything shocking happening in front of us, we are left with perceived notions of trust and suspicion.

9/10

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

A dark calculating plunge into the depths of human fear and paranoia

10/10
Author: Wabid_Dawg from Northern Ireland
15 January 2007

The first night I watched this film I had a genuine nightmare. No film before or since has given me nightmares and this illustrates how powerful this dynamic film is. The setting is isolated in the wastes of oblivion, the music a echo to the primal heartbeat of human fear, the violence and gore gritty and realistic, the absence of special effects for the better. But what I find so brilliant about this film is its systematic annihilation of one of the core human emotions which is trust. This film brilliantly replaces this void with pure and undistilled paranoia, and in the context of this film this becomes far more powerful than any other weapon to terrify audiences. Combine this with the perpetual mental and physical isolation that this film creates and you have a masterpiece of not just science fiction horror but of human fear. And will leave you looking over your shoulders for what lurks in the darkness - Trust me.

If you liked this try the shinning 10/10

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